


The Calling Experiments

by TheReviewess



Series: Heroics Run In The Family [11]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Blood Magic, Dark, F/F, Grey Wardens, Human Experimentation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 18:04:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18481516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReviewess/pseuds/TheReviewess
Summary: In an attempt to cure the Calling, Warden Commander Mahariel approaches King Alistair with an unorthodox plan...





	The Calling Experiments

“You're joking.” Alistair asked the Hero. 

The last seven years since the Blight had been kind to her. Sure she had the occasional scar here and there, but she filled out more. Not in a bad way! She just didn't look like a twig anymore. Mahariel actually had muscles. Almost enough to put Alistair to shame, he really needed to get back into the training thing again.

“Do I look like I'm joking?”

No. She didn't.

“Your prisons, while massive, don't have endless room, despite what we may have thought during the Blight.” 

They both shuddered at the remembrance of the torture done to them during their  _ lovely  _ stay in Fort Drakon. Lucky for them, Leliana had a silver tongue and her Bardic Training came in handy when she, Morrigan, and Wynne busted them out. Hearing the story afterwards was the only thing that made it all worth it.

( _ “On a scale of 1 to 10, how much did you want to kill yourself?” Aerinwyn asked Morrigan in a teasing tone once she was safe and in bed, recovering. _

_ “I hate you.”) _

“But… THIS?!” Alistair practically shouted, gesturing towards his fellow Warden with his arms spread wide. Despite being King and all, he still felt like a follower when faced with the Warden Commander. She just had that leader mojo going on. At least, better than he did.

“You're going to kill them anyway,” Aerin told him with a shrug, very nonchalant about the whole thing. “Why not put their deaths to good use? It's a win win, Alistair. They die, which is what you want, and we may get a cure for The Calling, which is what I want. Also, I'm fairly certain you  _ also _ want that cure.”

He wouldn't deny that. Even now he worried that the dreams would return. They always said that Wardens alive and active during a Blight had less time compared to Wardens that lived when a Blight was not around. Alistair himself already was at 8 years Joined, and his friend wasn't far behind him. She might even have less time because she was the one who actually  _ killed  _ the Archdemon. Wait.

“You aren't… the dreams. They haven't–”

“No.” Aerinwyn answered quickly. “If they had, I wouldn't have asked.” 

That was… comforting. As much as it could be, given the situation. 

“I'm trying to make a world where no one will go through a Calling again, Alistair.” Aerinwyn told him firmly. “I want to see my kid grow up and meet that person she wants to be with for the rest of her life. I want to be there to tell that person embarrassing childhood stories of Fae. I want to see my own Grandkids for Creators’ sake! I can't let Leliana have all the fun! If you want to maybe  _ try _ giving Ferelden an heir to the throne, or even living long enough to notice your own hair turning grey, then help me.”

He hated when she used her kid against him. Alistair really hated that. 

“If I do this, you would only take the ones marked for death?” Alistair asked her, hating himself as he spoke.

“Alistair. When have I killed someone without a good cause?”

She did make a point there. Sure the Warden Commander had  _ some _ questionable choices (like  _ why  _ did she spare Nathaniel Howe? To this day, Alistair will never know) but she didn't kill anyone without a damn good reason. She had a good head on her shoulders and her heart was in the right place.

“I can't believe I'm agreeing to this.”

“Wardens do whatever they must, Alistair. We make hard choices. You're not doing anything. Just making sure criminals are getting their death sentences carried out. At least this way, their deaths will be beneficial instead of meaningless.” Aerin told him. “Would you like me to keep you updated on the–”

“No! No. No. Quite frankly, I think the less I know of this, the better. For my sanity and all.”

“Well, what's left of it,” the elf teased.

How could she make jokes about this? He knew she had a sick sense of humor but this was on a whole different level. It was making him sick. He needed to leave.

“Well if that's it…”

“I'll get out of your hair. Just sign this and I'll take off.” The Warden held up two copies of some notice. The handwriting wasn't her own, which meant someone else knew of her crazy scheme. Probably the maleficarum himself. Alistair wouldn't be shocked if he put the idea in her head. Wait. This was Leliana's handwriting! Was she in on this too? It didn't matter because he was some how agreeing to this madness...

The document was a very official looking one and the King doubted that anyone would argue with the Warden, even if this wasn't signed. Still, the sooner she was gone, the sooner her could start ignoring this whole thing was happening.

Needless to say, Alistair never signed anything, or placed his seal on anything so fast in his life. 

“Thanks. See you eventually.” The Warden rolled the papers up and put them into a small box to protect them. “I'm taking Fae to Par Vollen to visit the Arishok. Want anything from there?”

“I'm good, thanks.” He remembered his last adventure with Sten. Well, Arishok. Actually it was the last time he and Aerin had done something together outside of Denerim. That was… interesting to say the least.

“This isn't bad, Alistair.”

“It's literal torture,” he deadpanned.

“Nothing worse than what is done to your enemies.”

Alistair didn't have a come back for that. He was aware that enemies of Ferelden were not treated well at all. It was also just one of those things he avoided thinking about. Now he has to add  _ this  _ to his list.

“Are you really doing this for Faenra? Or even because you want to help the other Wardens?” Alistair blurted out before he realized what he was saying. “Or is it really that you are just scared of dying?”

Aerin stopped in her tracks, back towards him. She didn't look back at him, opting to turn her head slightly so he could hear him. Though, she didn't need to. Alistair would have been able to hear her regardless.

“I've been living on borrowed time ever since I  _ joined  _  the Wardens. Why do you think I go off doing death defying stunts? At least if I die fighting, Faenra can be proud of me.” The Warden said in a low voice. “Dying is easy, Alistair. Living is so much harder.”

Of course. He didn't know why he asked, it always came back to Faenra in the end. He just hoped that the girl never found out about her mother's life choices. For her sake.

The last part of Mahariel's statement struck a chord with him. He remembered that phrase. Dying is easy. Living is difficult. It was from a conversation he overheard between Leliana and Aerin from after they left Denerim the first time and headed south in search of something or another. The Warden had been down in the dumps since they left the Forest after dealing with Zathrian and the whole having to save her daughter thing. 

Whenever she was looking particularly broody, Leliana would always sit with her and chatter away. But he heard that phrase slip from her lips more than once when talking to Aerinwyn.

Oh.

Wait.

Now he got it.

Without another word, Aerin left his study and left Alistair to his own thoughts.

Sighing, he made a mental note to never again ask the woman if she had a death wish. Ever. 

The King stood up and quietly wandered off to clear his head. The less he thought about Mahariel's hairbrained scheme, the better. Even if he wasn't the one doing all the work like how Aerinwyn was, he was still an accomplice in this. Yes these people deserved death, but being experimented on by a 200 year old Warden bloodmage was probably a date worse than death. Alistair would rather take the hanging if it were him. 

And honestly, if a cure came about as a result of this sort of… experimentation, Alistair might just deal with the Calling anyway. It would probably be better than dealing with a smug yet suicidal Dalish Warden Commander saying that she was right and he was wrong and how he should trust her more often. 

_ “I have great ideas, Alistair!”  _ The King said in irritation while sporting a high pitched, heavily accented voice that was supposed to mimic the Warden Commander.

She could really be insufferable at times.


End file.
